Partnership provides military families access to youth
development, family strengthening and health & well-being programs.

The Santa Clarita Valley Family YMCA will provide military
families with free access to their healthy lifestyles facility under a new
partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense.  This initiative for
military families is in conjunction with 2,686 YMCAs across the United
States.

“The Santa Clarita Valley Family YMCA is happy to help meet
the critical needs facing families of deployed military service members,” said
Jane S. Albin, Executive Director of the Santa Clarita Valley Family
YMCA.  “Families are the most affected when a loved one gets deployed, so
we are deeply committed to providing them with the support they need.”

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The YMCA and Department of Defense partnership responds to a
provision in the National Defense Authorization Act of 2008, which requires the
Secretary of Defense to develop a plan to support military family readiness and
to ensure that military family readiness programs and activities are available
to all military families, including those of the National Guard and Military
Reservists.

Eligible military families participating in the initiative
are eligible for facility memberships at the Santa Clarita Valley Family YMCA
based on participation requirements. Those eligible to participate in the new
initiative include:

• All interested families of joint deployed National Guard and
  Reserves of all military branches;
• Families living in newly established Joint Base Realignment
  and Closure (BRAC) bases;
• Active Duty Independent Duty station personnel and their
  families; and
• Relocated spouses and family members of deployed Active Duty
  personnel.

“The YMCA has a long history of supporting military service
members and their families – since the Civil War – so it was natural for us to
join this initiative,” Albin said. “During this time of conflict, it is more
important than ever that we continue providing services and support to these
families.”

For more information about this opportunity to our military
families or about the Santa Clarita Valley Family YMCA, please call (661)
253-3593.